"Things to look out for while I'm gone," Ashborn began, glancing casually at the food being placed in front of him. "Expect betrayal. Shocking, I know. But it won't be the kind you see coming—it'll be the kind that twists the knife when you least expect it."
He turned his gaze toward Prime Batman. "So, here's your job—team up with the other Batmen. Build a plan. Then build a backup plan for that plan. Just don't get too comfortable, because one of them could be the traitor. And even worse? Someone in this very room might leak everything."
Batman's eyes narrowed. "Then why say anything in front of everyone?"
"Because I don't care if they leak our information or not," Ashborn said calmly, eyes steady. "By the time I return, I'll have regained my full power… well, I would be stronger than ever before as the Shadow Sovereign. Unlike now, where I'm limited to drawing on Anti-Crisis Energy."
Over the past week, Ashborn had grown far stronger. After mastering all of the Lantern Rings and fusing them into the White Lantern Ring, he didn't stop there. He went on to master the Speed Force, the Life Force, the Sphere of the Gods, Dimensional Superstructure, the Collective Unconscious, and even Faithfulness itself.
Each mastery brought him closer to the impossible, and once he fused them all, he unlocked Anti-Crisis Energy—the same power wielded by Doctor Manhattan. That alone had accelerated his recovery. What once required over a billion years now needed only a few thousand.
But Ashborn hadn't stopped there. He went on to master the Strength Force, the Sage Force, and every other source of power once thought untouchable. Every energy Ashborn could ever dream of obtaining—Ashborn had already seized, reshaped, and fused into the Shadow Monarch Force.
And still, that wasn't enough. Ashborn even reached for Crisis Energy. To gain that, he had to master the Still Force—the opposite of the Speed Force.
Then came the Invisible Spectrum, the shadowed twin to the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum.
The Tear of Extinction—the antithesis of the Life Force.
The Void Wind—the dark mirror of the Sphere of the Gods.
The Black App—the shadowed reflection of the Collective Unconscious.
And finally, the Sixth Note—the ominous counterpart to the Dimensional Superstructure.
Ashborn had mastered them all. Yet, even with these dark forces under his control, he still hadn't returned to full strength.
Why? Simple.
The fusion process had placed a temporary halt on his recovery. In fact, it had pushed him into an even more weakened state than before. Every ounce of his power was undergoing a profound transformation—evolving the former Shadow Monarch Force into something far greater. It was reshaping his essence, preparing him to carry his power beyond this omniverse without degradation.
Of course, there were more powers Ashborn had absorbed—like the Strength Force, the Sage Force, and others. Though at the moment, Ashborn was barely as strong as a normal human. But once the fusion completed, his powers would erupt to heights never before seen.
His shadows, however, were unaffected by this process. They had already reached the level of Mid-Omniversal and remained there even as Ashborn underwent his transformation.
"You're arrogant," Batman said, voice low but firm. "That kind of thinking could lead to our defeat. And don't forget—we still haven't recovered your armor." His words were met with quiet nods from the others.
"I'm not arrogant. I'm confident my plan will work," Ashborn said, his voice steady.
Ember, who had been quietly enjoying her food, froze mid-bite. "So… this world is doomed?" she asked flatly.
Ashborn shot her a glare. Sure, he didn't have the best track record when it came to plans actually working out—but this time was different. This time, his plan was foolproof. With how strong he was now, he should be able to face the Darkness…
Ashborn went on to give them a detailed list of threats to watch for, outlining how they should spend as much time in the training dimension as possible. He wasn't entirely sure the dimension would continue to function once he left, so they had to make the most of it while they still could.
Their priority was clear—gain Anti-Crisis Energy. Ashborn was almost certain the enemy already possessed both Anti-Crisis and Crisis Energy, so the Primes needed to catch up. Fast.
With that, everyone finally settled in to enjoy their meal. Even Batman, ever the skeptic, allowed himself a moment of peace. To their surprise, the food didn't just taste incredible—it had real effects. It enhanced their physical strength, sharpened their minds, and helped unlock hidden potential.
Once dinner was done, most of the heroes departed, though a few lingered behind, searching for excuses to stay. Ashborn didn't mind—he wasn't the type to chase people out. He wanted to speak to someone. His attention was on Raven, and as it turned out, she wanted to speak with him too.
"About your darkness," Ashborn began with a curious smile, "I was wondering—why do you keep it sealed?"
"Because it wants to bring the end of all things," Raven said softly. She wasn't lying, although her Darkness as of now wasn't that powerful, given the chances to swallow dimensions, it would grow to the point that concepts like the Speed Force, and even the Source Wall would be swallowed, fueling her power.
"It sounds more like you can't control it…" Ashborn said, raising his hand. Raven's pupils shrank as the sealed darkness within her stirred, responding to Ashborn's call.
"You have three… no, four states of being," he continued calmly. "First is your normal state. Second, your demon form. Third, this one, your purest form. And the fourth is the darkness you keep locked away, your most powerful state."
Ashborn's eyes glowed faintly as he guided the swirling darkness with ease. "But I believe there's potential for a fifth… something beyond all of them."
"How are you doing that?" Raven asked, stunned by the sight before her, this darkness, feared even by her father, now obeyed Ashborn like a harmless puppy.
"First of all, I don't fear it," Ashborn said calmly. "The shadows we cast are only reflections of ourselves. Whether we like it or not, we all have a shadow—parts of ourselves we'd rather forget. But instead of letting it consume you… Or trying to purify it, you need to accept it. It's still you. You have your pure form… and your dark one."
Raven's mouth fell open in disbelief. But before she could respond, the darkness stirred again—this time attempting to fuse with her.
At first, Raven was ready to fight back, but then she paused. She realized the darkness wasn't trying to consume her, it was trying to balance itself within her. She looked toward Ashborn, who was watching her with a calm, knowing smile.
"There's nothing scary about darkness," Ashborn said gently. "There's nothing inherently evil about it, either. What is darkness without light? What is evil without good? Humanity needs a bit of darkness to survive. If people were entirely good, would they have endured? And if they were pure evil, they would have destroyed themselves long ago. It's about balance. Without it… Everything falls apart."
With those words, the transformation began. One half of Raven's body shifted into her demonic form, while the other remained unchanged. The demon side sprouted raven-like feathers, sharp and dark, trying to shield her face. Feathers layered over her body like a cloak of shadows.
From the unchanged side, a radiant light surged forth, and in response, the demon half erupted with raw darkness. The two forces, light and shadow, twisted, pulsed, and slowly began to intertwine.
Then, without warning, they merged. A massive Yin-Yang symbol formed, spanning across the third dimension—so vast and powerful that even those in the Sphere of the Gods could see it looming in the heavens.
Raven suddenly exploded, her body dissolving into pure darkness that shot upward, piercing through reality and into the Sphere of the Gods. In that moment, she ascended—no longer bound by mortal limits.
Raven had become something more. She was now the new Goddess of Darkness… and of ravens.